Now and Forever
by CursedLyfe
Summary: RoyXRiza Story set after the last episode and it's slightly tweaked.


Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Find someone else to sue.

Pairing: Roy and Riza

Storyline: Riza takes care of Roy after his fight with Wrath (Bradley). I've tweaked the story a bit so I could put the two together and form a great arch for my plotline. Roy still wins of course but Riza is there to help him and they have a stronger bond afterwards. Flames are welcome... I need to improve on a lot of stuff so it doesn't matter.

This is one of my first fanfictions I ever wrote. I've already submitted other stuff but this is the first.

Chapter 1

Summery: Roy wakes up in the hospital.

* * *

(F/B)

"_Hahaha. Mustang, you are weak and helpless. Thinking that you could defeat a homunculus such as I. You seem to forget that we homunculus are without a soul and cannot die. But I'll be happy watching you parrish." The homunculus, known as Pride, but posing as Fuhrer Bradley laughed a merciless laugh. A crazy grin was stuck on his face._

"_The only think you will be without is the will to live," Mustang said through gritted teeth. Pure hatred was burning in his eyes. His whole body was on fire and he was having trouble breathing, let alone concentrate. He knew that if he didn't kill the homunculus now, he would surely die. Shaking his thoughts away, he got up and lunged at Pride. _

(End F/B)

Hearing voices and sounds all around, he slowly opened his eyes. Mustang's vision was blurry and clouded but he could see the outline of a person sitting next to him. After blinking a few times, he realized that he was in the hospital and that person sitting next to him was Riza Hawkeye, who was sound asleep. He turned his head and felt an aching pain from his right shoulder. Stopping himself, he suddenly remembered what had happened to him. Everything from that night came flashing back. Images filled his mind. Focusing on the time being, he also realized that his whole body hurt. Then he remembered that same feeling while fighting Bradley.

'Oh,' he thought, 'Bradley was a homunculus.' He was trying to reconstruct their battle and remember what happened.

Suddenly he heard Riza stir. Yawning slightly she stretched out a little before noticing that Mustang was awake. She snapped to his attention.

"Sir. You are finally awake. How are you feeling?" She had a slightly embarrassed expression.

In a hoarse voice he said, "How long have I been lying here?" Right now, he didn't really care if she was feeling embarrassed or not. It wasn't as if he was going to scold her for being tired.

"Three days." What the hell?

'Holy shit. Three days?" He frowned and the look of worry in her eyes deepened.

"How long have you been sitting there?"

"Right the moment that they laid you here after dressing your wounds."

'Right the moment...' He closed his eyes for a moment and Riza took it as a warning that he was in pain.

"Sir are you all right? Are you in pain? Let me go fetch the nurse," she said quickly.

Eyes snapping open, he made a reach for her arm but the pain overpowered him and she heard his hiss. Looking quickly at him, she said, "Wait one second and I'll be right back." Seeing that he could do nothing, Mustang just laid there and waited. True to her word, Riza came rushing back in with a nurse at her heels.

"Mr. Mustang. Glad to see that you are awake. This young lady has been here day and night since you were brought in. How lucky you are to have someone like her stay by your side. I'll go tell the doctor that you are conscious and I'll have him come in later to check on you. Right now, the best thing for you is to rest. We will redress your wounds later tonight." And with a cheery smile, she left both people in the room looking slightly embarrassed with a slight blush.

After the nurse left, Riza assumed her position by sitting in her chair and continued to look at him.

Her face reddened at the fact that the nurse wasn't at all helpful as Riza had hoped. But seeing that he was fine and wasn't really in agony, she figured that he would be ok until the doctor came. All the thinking took her attention from Roy, so she never noticed him staring slightly.

By observing, Roy could tell that she was tired but the alertness in her eyes were apparent. Though seeing that she was probably off in her little world, thinking of course, he felt bad for her to have to sit here while waiting for him to finally snap out of unconsciousness.

The silence in the room quickly became uncomfortable, for both people could not find the right words to start a conversation. Roy would see Hawkeye glancing back and forth, looking as if to say something but thought the better of it. Sighing he looked at her only to see her look away, as if to not look into his eyes.

"Hawkeye, be honest. Is it as bad as it looks?" Riza could hear the weariness and sadness in his voice that she was almost afraid to look him in the eye. She could see that he was looking down, with his face in a sad, almost broken expression. Thinking quickly, she tried to think of something that would make him feel better.

"Sir, you are recovering from a terrible fight that almost took your life. You've been unconscious for three days, so of course you'll feel rundown. Don't worry, you'll get through this." Riza tried to smile but it just came out to be a slight twitch of her face which he noticed immediately.

He knew that she was trying to make him feel better but it really wasn't working. Being here, lying in the hospital bed, actually surviving when his friend Full Metal probably didn't, wasn't really spirit lifting. He remembered his last meeting with Full Metal before both went their separate ways at Headquarters. Ed was out to destroy the homunculi and trying to get the Philosophers Stone in order to restore his little brother, Al.

Sighing he said, "You won't admit it but I feel like shit and probably look it too. You don't have to pretend. I can accept the truth. I've already screwed things up as it is." His words shocked her. Honestly, he was pale and frail looking. The slash marks on his face were slowly healing but the rest of his wounds were unpredictable.

"You shouldn't be using too much of your energy by talking. You should rest some more." He looked at her with his tired eyes.

"What are you going to do? You can't just sit there..." His voice faltered a little and then he realized just how tired and worn he felt. After seeing Riza shake her head, he gave up on talking and half closed his eyes. He wasn't sure that if he fell asleep, should something happen. Riza could sense his uneasiness.

"Please, just close your eyes and rest some more. I'll be here when you wake up." Nodding ever so slightly, Roy hesitantly closed his eyes and a few seconds later he was fast asleep.

Seeing his fall asleep, Riza shifted in her chair and tried to be comfortable but she couldn't fall asleep. There was a strange nagging feeling that was growing. She didn't know what it was but it didn't feel right. Sometimes she could feel someone watching her and when she'd look, there'd be nobody there. Maybe she was being paranoid but she didn't feel safe in the hospital full of the bustling nurses and doctors. She could sense the colonel was in danger but the only thing she could do was wait. Wait for something to happen.

She sat there unable to sleep.

Many hours later...

-Roy was having a fitful sleep. He couldn't get the images of the battle out of his mind. Instead of him fighting Pride, it was Riza and he couldn't do anything about it. He kept seeing her ineffectively trying to shoot the homunculus but it kept regenerating. He shouted to her a warning that it was immortal but she couldn't hear him. He was behind a barrier and all he could do was watch. Watch as his friend was dying from a losing battle.-

Gasping, Roy woke up and sat up. Sweat was pouring down his face and he could feel his body protest in his sudden movements. He couldn't shake the sight of Pride hurting Riza. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Sir what happened? Are you ok?" It was Riza's hand that touched him. His palms felt wet and he couldn't decide what to do. Should he tell her what he saw? No, he'd wait until absolutely needed. He didn't want her to worry any more than she was already. It was bad enough that she was sitting here watching him but to have to worry about a possible threat to her... not good.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Riza could see a distressed look on his face but decided not to press. She was surprised to see him sitting up and not wincing in pain at all. As far as she knew, it would be painful for him to move around so much.

Rubbing his face with his hands, he tried to shake off his fear. After a minute of calming down, he finally felt the pain and protest from his body. Trying to lay back down without triggering more pain, he tried to put on a reassuring smile though he knew that Riza wouldn't buy into it.

"Sir, if there's something wrong, you can always tell me. Please don't make the mistake of keeping secrets like the Elric brothers." Eyes moving towards the floor, "In the end, it was too late for them." She could feel all of her emotions surface as she remembered them. They too, were fighting the homunculus in order to obtain the philosopher's stone and both have since then disappeared. They both were secretive and never told anyone of their plans or thoughts so the military as well as their close friends, were kept in the dark. She honestly didn't want Mustang to be in that position later on. She could tell that it was painful for him to know that they might be gone. Even though he didn't show it, he truly cared for those boys. In his own way, he was protecting them and trying to make sure no harm came to them. They might have no agreed on everything, but she secretly thought that at least Alphonse understood the colonel's intentions. Ed on the other hand, might have not appreciated the colonel's gestures, but he stayed respectful.

Roy felt a pang of guilt spread though out him. He felt guilty about not being able to help the brothers finish their mission. The last time they talked, was when both were going their separate ways. The last words Roy heard from Ed were to be careful and to give the homunculus a beating for him. Deep down, Mustang could tell that Ed was just trying to say goodbye to him because it was a slim chance that he'd get out alive. The last words that Roy said to Ed were to also be careful and to take care of his little brother. Since the day he met them, Roy could see the strong bond both of the brothers shared. Already many times, they avoided getting separated and have long since stayed by each others side, both trying to fulfill the promises they made to each other. Their main mission was to get both their bodies back to normal. Roy could always see that Ed only wanted the best for his brother since they really had nothing left. Which made Roy strive to make their mission easier by giving them leads and make sure they stay together. He could never forget the look on both of their faces when they knew they were getting close to a better solution. It was as if a new light was shining ahead of the dark tunnel they were trying to follow.

Sensing that he wasn't going to really answer her comment, Riza sat back in her chair and let him think his thoughts. His sudden decision to speak startled her.

"Do you think I could have done more to protect them? Do you think I could have tried harder to make sure they were safe? I feel guilty for not being there in their time of need." The expression on his face told her that he meant every word he said. This guilt was weighing him down almost to the point where he couldn't think straight until he got his answer.

"No sir, I don't think there could have been anyone better protecting and caring than you. You've played a major part in his success. Without you pulling a few strings, he would have never become a state alchemist, therefore opening up all the events that they have been through. As far as I know, you've done nothing but help them to reach their goal. Honestly you should not have any guilt. It was their destiny to fight for the stone and their destiny to get their bodies back. Nothing could have stopped them. You had your own mission to fulfill so there could have been no way to stop or help them. It may sound selfish of you, but you did your mission for the good of the people, not you. So if you went with them instead, a homunculi would still be running the military. You fail to see the good things that you've done and are only focusing on the bad things. Nothing could have stopped you from going to Bradley's house and instead going with Ed. Don't carry a empty guilt and dwell on the bad things that have happened." Riza stopped at let him think on her words. In essence she was right. If he had indeed chosen to follow Ed, none of this would have happened and who knows what else could have happened with those things running the military?

Thinking deeply, Roy understood and realized the meaning of her words. On impulse he said, "Hawkeye, who would I turn to to keep me sane if you weren't here?" Riza blushed slightly at his words. She was glad that he came to his senses. Looking at him, she saw him smile slightly suddenly feeling good about her little speech.

Not looking at him she said, "I honestly think that you'd be let loose if I weren't here to keep you in check. Or you might have had a person worse than me. Who knows?" Chuckling lightly, she turned to him and watched in happiness as his face lit up at her joke. She was glad that he was starting to become his old self again.

The mood abruptly ended when the nurse came bustling in with a plate of food. Of course, Mustang knew that hospital food wasn't exactly "food" but anything that broke the silence relieved him.

"Miss, you make sure he eats something." With an affirmative nod from Riza, the nurse left abruptly. Trying feebly to sit up, Mustang just gave a glare in her direction. Grunting from the pain, Roy gave Riza a quick look of embarrassment as his eyes had a pleading look in them. Putting the tray onto the table, she helped him sit up with pillows propping him up. For one moment their eyes met and she could clearly see the pain and sorrow he was feeling. In his black eyes, she could see so much. They held the depths of all the emotions he was feeling. Like a never ending tunnel. Not wanting to linger on too much, Roy looked away.

Knowing that she was staring, she cleared her throat and turned her attention back to the food. She couldn't help but think that the last thing she saw in his eyes were humiliation.

Staring at it for a couple of seconds, Riza picked up the fork and started swirling what looked like brown potatoes. Eyes widening as she took a quick sniff, she tried to hide her disgust. He raised his eyebrow, already taking notice of her reaction. She was caught. After flashing a a small smile at him she picked up a piece of potato.

"Can you feed yourself, or would you like me to...?" She decided that she wouldn't wait for his reply and moved the fork over to his mouth. Obligingly he opened his mouth and chewed slowly.

"I saw your expression and you're right. This food is disgusting. Can't you find something more suitable to eat? I don't know how people survive in hospitals if they don't even serve proper food." He swallowed hesitantly and his face bore an expression that he'd never shown before.

"Roy, you have to eat something, you've been unconscious for three days. If you don't, you won't recover." Roy looked at her, as if to not believe that she was ordering him. She got another fork full as she heard his sigh of defeat and continued to feed him.

'He usually fights with me. Even in life or death situations. I guess it'll take more time to get him back to normal again.' Riza thought to herself. Just watching him, she could tell that the eating and talking was taking energy from him. And after being in such a battle, his energy levels were sure to be low. He must have lasted a long time to have received wounds like his and still manage to get out of Bradley's house alive.

Suddenly, he looked up at her sharply.

"Did you just call me by my first name?" A puzzled look was on his face. Trying to recall what she had said to him, it dawned on her. She did call him by his first name.

Just smiling she said, "That was the only way to get your attention and eat sir."

"No sir, just Roy." A small ghost of a smile lingered on his face for a moment and then he went back to his blank expression. The two of them sat in comfortable silence. Only the sound of chewing could be slightly heard.

After about 10 minutes later, Riza saw that Roy had come to the end of his reserves. He was probably tired from eating. She put the tray down on the table and resumed her position.

"You know you don't have to stay and watch me. You should go and eat something or go home. Don't just feel the need to be here just because I'm here." Sharply turning her head, she glared at him. He could see the fury in her eyes.

"Roy, sir, my job is to protect and watch over you. Now I think you've had enough action for one setting. I think it's best of you sleep." Her tone suggested that the conversation was over.

He sighed and slowly his eyes began to fall. He wasn't about to argue with someone who could shoot someone in the middle of their head with her eyes closed. Soon enough he was asleep.

Seeing that he finally fell asleep, Riza got up from her chair and went into the hallway. Leaning against the wall, she folded her arms and sighed. Inside, she was screaming.

'God, the whole time I was sitting next to him, I wanted to something more to comfort him. My words can only go so far for someone as hurt as him. The poor guy. Even I don't know how much he's been through and I still go about just as if I knew... -Sigh- I almost cracked. I can't believe he would say a thing like that. "You don't have to stay here just because I'm here." How could he say a thing like that? Doesn't he know from all our years together? God, I love him!'

At that thought, Riza quietly covered her mouth. She finally admitted to having feelings for Roy. Totally thankful she didn't think out loud, you sighed and sat on the floor. Bringing her knees up to her chest and putting her head down, she thought about how Roy would react if she let these feelings slip.

She jerked her head up and stood. 'No,' she thought, 'He probably doesn't feel the same way so there should be no reason for me to tell him.' Standing straight, she walked back into his room and sat on the same chair that was next to his bed.

Roy seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Riza heard his even breathing and his chest slowly rising and falling with every breath. Even a near-death situation didn't change his handsome features. Riza could suddenly imagine his trademark grin that he had given to almost every girl he'd seen. The pure flirtatious grin that made most girls fall for him, even Riza.

Thinking back, his smile worked exactly the same way the first time she met him.

(F/B)

"_Riza Hawkeye, meet Major Mustang. He'll be leading your unit on the East part of the city. You'll be his Lieutenant which is also his main protector. With your sharp shooting, you are to make sure no harm comes to him." With that, the general left the two to get aquatinted._

_Riza studied the man in front of her. Roy was a man of 5'9 and wearing a nicely pressed uniform. His black hair was long enough to extend to his mid- forehead and his eyes were a deep ebony. A smirk was occupying his face and Riza's heart began to melt. _

_Never really having good relationships when she was younger, Riza shied away from men. But this one, no, he seemed... different. The aura around him seemed to shine. Jerking back to the present, Roy's voice broke her thoughts._

"_So you must be Riza Hawkeye. I've heard much about you and your sharp shooting." His voice was deep and smooth. Embarrassed, Riza blushed which made Roy's smirk even wider. _

"_Pleased to meet you sir." There really was nothing else she could say. Just having him look at her was almost nerve racking and Riza Hawkeye was never put in that position. _

_Roy couldn't take his eyes off of his First Lieutenant. Her hair was a golden yellow which fell to her mid-back. Her eyes were a soft brown and her mouth in perfect form. Even in uniform, Roy could tell her body had the perfect curves. She was breathtaking._

_Feeling slightly uncomfortable because she knew he was staring, Riza cleared her throat._

_Suddenly realizing that he was staring, Roy met her eyes again with an apologetic glance before speaking again._

"_Well, Lieutenant, I suppose we'd better get ready because we move out tonight. Now, I have yet to see you shoot, but from the looks of you, I have no doubt that you'll be the best protection that I'll have." With that, he left for his tent and Riza just stood there watching him go. _

_Walking slowly to her tent, she relived their first encounter. 'Hughes was right' she thought, 'It only took one smile to get my hooked.' _

_Remembering Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, he had warned her on the effect Roy would have on her. _

'_Now, Riza, Roy may come off as a little indifferent and sometimes cold, but don't worry. He's really a great guy overall and I have no doubt that his plans for the military will reflect that. Just give him one meeting and I swear, when he grins at you, you'll be hooked. I know that he'll give you a reason to continue with the military. I know that you've done some horrible things... believe me. Being in the military, I don't think anyone of us hasn't done so either, but protecting him will give you a reason to pull the trigger.' Hughes then smiled his cheerful, lopsided smile and watched as she boarded the train to meet Colonel Roy Mustang._

(End F/B)

Riza could remember almost every single detail of their first meeting. Both military personal were kept busy during the war but it still didn't keep their relationship from growing. Thinking a little further down the timeline, Riza remembered what had happened after Roy's regretful slaughter of the two Ishbal doctors. He had been ready to put a bullet through his head but if not for Tim Marcoh, Roy would have done it. Riza remembered the same night she went to his tent to try to comfort him.

(F/B)

_Walking slowly to his tent, Riza could hear soft sobbing. Pulling back the curtain door, she found Roy sitting on his cot, back turned away from the door. His elbows were on his knees and he was covering his face with his hands. A second later, his body was wracked with a sob and Riza quietly went over and put her hand on his shoulder. Feeling the gesture as a threat, Roy suddenly jumped up, fingers ready to snap. Quickly realizing that it was Riza, Roy had a look of shame on his face as he looked down to the ground. _

_Taken aback by his almost violent action, Riza tried once again to slowly advance towards him with a comforting hand reaching. Instead of taking the hand, he spoke with a hoarse voice, worn from his weeping._

"_I killed those two innocent people Hawkeye. They were only doctors trying to help both sides. They didn't care what side you were on, they just helped each person and treated them as human beings. Look what I do, barge in and forced to shoot them pointblank. I'll never forget the look on their eyes. The sheer look of horror and pleading for mercy. They did nothing wrong, only trying to do right by others. Right after I killed them, I saw a picture on the floor, near their bodies. It was a picture of their daughter. She's growing up now without parents. All because of me. What kind of person have I become? I'm a murderer Hawkeye, a fucking murderer!" He put his head in his hands again and sat down on the cot. More sobs engulfed his entire form and he couldn't hold it in anymore. _

_Feeling the same emotions wash over her, Riza knew what it felt like to kill a person pointblank, hell it used to be her job. In a way, she could relate to Mustang but this time, his feelings ran deeper. Sitting next to him, she began stroking his hair and letting him use her lap to cry on. Honestly, she'd never heard nor seen a grown man cry but, to her, it was one of the saddest things. A great man like Mustang, having to kill two innocent people and then having to live with the grief for the rest of his life. What kind of punishment was that? For Mustang, it was kill them or be killed. The general would have killed them himself if Mustang had disobeyed the order so he would have been worse off. Both of them sat in the darkness. One, holding the other. _

(End F/B)

Yes, those times were so vivid in her mind. Every played together like a movie.

It was weird for her because, it took events such as putting Roy in the hospital in order for her to start remembering all those moments they had. Other times, she remembered but the feeling of remembering stayed the same, whereas, in times like these, it was totally different. Every moment of remembrance, was so dear and tender to her and it was as if those memories were the only thing that was left.

Staring at him again as he slept, she could tell that he went through a lot that night. Aside from all the cuts and bruises on his face, he was pale. Just spending the time to talk and eat after waking up from a huge battle; It took away most of his strength. Right now, he looked very fragile.

Instantly, she felt immense regret and sorrow. That same night, he told her not to worry and that he'd come out ok. She didn't truly believe him though. Instead of waiting outside the gate and watching for other people approaching, she followed him into the courtyard. She only stopped when he entered the house. After what seemed like an hour, she finally found a window that was enabling her to see inside. The sight was alarming to her.

Finally feeling exhausted emotionally, and physically from just staying by his side, and waiting day and night. Riza held on to his hand and laid her head next to his arm. She was careful enough to not disrupt any of his wounds. Seconds later, she was fast asleep.

Chapter 2- The Memories

(F/B)

_The main room was in total disarray. It was totally clear that a huge battle had just occurred. Small patches of fire were scattered throughout the floor. All the furniture was either broken or burned and books and other items were scattered everywhere. _

_In the middle of everything, were two figures. Fuhrer Bradley had not one scratch on him. Actually, he seemed to be laughing. Looking on, she could see the figure of Mustang, only he wasn't totally standing. Squinting, she could see that he was wounded. Apparently crouching on the floor with a look of total hatred on his face, his face was covered with cuts and blood. _

_Instantly at that sight, Riza began to get worried. If a homunculus can't die, then what chance would Mustang have of trying to weaken him? It was already proved that homunculus could regenerate and were basically immortal. _

_Mustang got up and ran to punch Pride in the face but already slowed down, Pride easily dodged and knocked him down on the floor again. Mustang fell heavily. Just watching one of her dearest friends hurt was terrible for her to go through. She already had the thought of bursting in and trying to rescue Roy. The idea was futile because it wouldn't really help the situation, they'd only be running and hiding. She'd put herself in danger and then that would make Roy's job even harder in order to protect two people instead of one._

-T.V. Show Point of View- (1)

_Watching the alchemist fall made the homunculus laugh even more. If it wasn't pathetic enough to have him fighting a thing that was futile to fight, having to lose so badly was even worse. _

"_See? Don't you see? Not even the great Fire Alchemist can stop me. Look at you, just pathetic and sad. You can't even hold yourself up. I don't see anything special about you. Conjuring fire from gloves is no talent. It doesn't even leave a scratch on me." Pride shook his head and sighed as Roy tried again to get up off the floor. Swaying on his feet a little, Roy turned to Pride._

"_I might not have any talent or so you put it, but at least I can help people live by using it. I wouldn't have come tonight if I didn't think I could beat you. By the end of tonight, only one of us is going to leave this house and it isn't going to be you. I have a purpose to fulfill. Unlike you who is just on this earth because you can't die." Quickly he raised his fingers and snapped. A huge explosion rocked the house and the things you'd still consider "furniture," were destroyed even more. _

_In the smoke and fire, Pride couldn't see Mustang sneaking up behind him and suddenly he felt an intense burning feeling behind him. Again, managing to create a huge explosion, Pride was blown half way across the room. Gathering all his strength, Roy pushed himself to his feet and quickly snapped his fingers again to magnify the explosion. A loud 'boom' could have been heard from miles away. _

_Suddenly the front door burst open and a young man of about 23 ran into the room. _

"_Father! What the fuck is going on here?" Looking wildly around the room, he could see Pride (a.k.a. Bradley) sprawled on the floor and Mustang on the other side of the room. From exerting all his energy creating the explosion, Roy was swaying slightly. _

'_Oh shit... That's Bradley's son. He wasn't supposed to be here to see this.' Mustang thought frantically. But in the son's hand was a skull. A red glowing skull. 'That's it! That's what I can use to defeat Pride.'_

_Running over to Archer, Roy kicked the skull out of his hand and caught it. Pride looked stunned and didn't move from the wall. The closer Roy got to Pride, the more the skull glowed it's mysterious crimson. Archer stood there watching as Roy advanced on Pride._

"_Mustang! What the fuck are you doing to my father! Get away from him!" But his cries were going unheard by Mustang who kept going. Pride was starting to dissolve right before Roy's eyes. It seemed as though he was being sucked into the glowing skull. _

_WIth a look of pure horror, Pride began to scream as the skull pulled him further and further, almost as if it were a black hole. The air around them grew strong with a sort of wind. Mustang could feel his battered body being pushed and pulled by it. Feeling his strength ebbing, Roy knew he couldn't hold on much longer. _

_Finally, a pulsation coming from the skull caused a huge force that jerked Mustang from holding on and threw him from Pride's surrounding area. Weakly looking up, he could see the last remnants of the homunculus as he completely disappeared and was absorbed into the skull. With a blinding light the skull clattered to the floor and ceased to glow. With a small smile, Roy knew the ordeal was over._

_Archer, who was (by the way) still standing in his original position, had his mouth hanging in nan awestruck expression. He totally couldn't believe his eyes! His father, the Furher no less, was just sucked up by a skull. And Colonel Mustang was the one to execute the attack. How could this be? Sweating profusely, he couldn't find the words to speak. His eyes could be seen darting from different corners of the room to identify the damage and he tried to remember the battle._

"_You bastard! You destroyed my father! What the hell did you do to him?" Fury was written all over his face. He went on yelling like that while Roy was near collapsing._

_As his wounds were still bleeding, his vision started getting hazy and he was fighting to stay awake. He could barely hear Archer's words apart from the sound of the still crackling fire around him. _

_Seeing that Mustang wasn't really paying attention to him, Archer went and punched Roy in the face, causing the colonel to heavily to the floor panting. When he saw that he wasn't getting up, he went and put his foot on the wounded alchemist's back and started to stomp. Ignoring the Colonel's cries of pain, Archer declared that he would avenge his father's death and make Roy pay for all the trouble and damage he did to his family. _

_Not being able to take any more beating, Roy was slipping quickly into unconsciousness. A huge black cloud seemed to overtake him but still, he was fighting to stay awake._

_Suddenly, what was left of the from door burst open. Riza Hawkeye came running in with her gun brandished. After taking a quick look around, she saw her beloved colonel on the ground, with the bastard Archer on top of him._

"_I'll give you one warning. Back away from the Colonel and no one gets hurt." Her words held, not a threat, but a promise. Turning away from the fallen colonel, Archer stared at Riza with hatred in his eyes._

"_You know what this son of a bitch did? He killed my father. He had no reason nor the privilege to hurt him! Why did he do this! He's going to pay for everything that he's done to my family!"_

"_Just so you get this into your thick skull. Roy did not kill your father." Archer stared at Riza as if she was crazy. "A homunculus named Pride killed your father long ago and posed as him. As far as we know, Furher Bradley has been dead for at least 3 to 4 years. We've been chasing this homunculus for some time now." Riza tried not to let her anger get the best of her. This man obviously didn't know the whole story and was just going around blaming people for something they didn't do. _

"_That's a lie! You're in on this too aren't you? Don't you know how good of a man my father was? He's done so much for you 'military dogs' and this is how you repay him? By killing him? You got some nerve coming here and destroying my family home. Both you and the military will suffer for this injustice!" With that, Archer lunged at Riza pulling out a gun that was hidden in his sleeve. He was fast at pulling the trigger, but Riza was faster. She hit him in the upper right shoulder and the Fuhrer's son cried in pain. _

"_Enough of this. Now you can come quietly or we can end this now. You don't know the whole story and I suggest that you stop while you're ahead. This thing posing as your father was highly dangerous and was the cause of a lot of trouble within the military. Don't make me kill you because I'm trained to do so. Please, just end this now and stop hurting people." _

_Obviously Archer wasn't going to let up because he got to his feet again and this time, he pulled a knife and tried to stab Riza with it. But acting quickly, she dodged his attack and shot him in the left leg. Fury still controlled him and he did the unthinkable; He pulled the colonel from the floor and threatened Riza._

"_Keep shooting me and see what happens to your precious colonel. I mean it. Put down your weapon and you're under arrest for the murder of the Furher." Pulling another hidden knife from his boot, Archer put it up against neck. Luckily he was unconscious otherwise it would be more trouble for Riza to save him. Quickly thinking about her options, she was trying to figure out how to stop Archer without having him hurt the colonel any more than he was already. _

_Carefully and quietly, she put her gun down, and also discreetly made sure she had her extra gun behind her belt. It was in easy reach and it was only a matter of 2 seconds before she could shoot and hit her target. _

"_All right, I've put down my gun. Not let him go. I'm not going to ask you another time. I've done what you wanted me do." Riza silently hoped he would take the bait and then she could shoot him and get Roy out. _

_Archer's quick look at Roy gave her the 1 second she needed. As soon as he glanced down at her fallen comrade, she yanked out the pistol from her belt and shot pointblank to his forehead. In a split second Archer was on his back with a bullet hole smack dab in the middle of his head. Sighing in relief, Riza reholstered her gun and went to Roy's side. _

'_Poor guy.' Was the thought that was going through her mind. Cuts covered his face and she shuddered to think of what other wounds he would have. Carefully picking him up bridal style, as to not disturb any of his other wounds, she managed to get outside the house. Setting him down gently near a tree, she waited for the medics to arrive and she watched the house burn down. It was still dark but the flames of the buildling shined a bright light that was visible from long distances. Even though it was a crisp night, the wind picked up and billowed through Riza's hair. The flames were being picked up as the night went on. 'This will be one hell of a lie we're going to have to tell.' _

(End F/B)

Waking up a few hours later, Riza could see that Roy was still sound asleep. Looking over him, he looked so peaceful and relaxed. It was like the burden was off his shoulders when he slept. Even his usual frown was wiped off his face. To him it was like feeling safe with Riza around. Still in her thoughts, she didn't notice him waking up. She only noticed when his hand touched hers. A small smile was on his lips. "Hi."

"I see you're awake. How do you feel?" He frowned as he tried to test his body for any pain. One second of it reminded him of how bad it was.

"I still feel like shit and that I've been run over by a bus." It was so like him to describe himself like that.

"The doctor is supposed to come in a couple of minutes to redress your wounds. You were pretty lucky. Any longer and you would have might not have made it." Riza didn't say anymore as Roy gave her a small questioning look. And just as Riza predicted, the doctor came waltzing in with his clipboard at hand.

"Ah, Mr. Mustang. Good to see you're awake. Miss. Riza, if you'd so kindly step out for a little while, maybe get something to eat. Come back in hour or so." Reluctantly she left the small room and went downstairs to the cafeteria.

After forcing herself to have coffee and a small sandwich, Riza made sure she was back at Roy's room by the hour.

Thankfully, the doctor was done and Roy was lying in his bed with nobody around. Knocking on the door post, he looked at her and motioned for her to come sit. His face was pale, probably from the redressing.

"How are you feeling?" Concern filled her words.

"Well, let's just say that I have wounds that I didn't even know that I had. I guess it was worse than I thought. They put me on some painkillers by needles." He made a face, hinting to Riza that he disliked shots.

"How soon can you be out of the hospital?" she asked. If he were to stay in the hospital for a period of time, she'd have to go and fill out the paperwork for his leave of absence. And that was always a pain in the ass to do.

"He says that I'm supposed to stay for a month or so just to make sure I'm not in any immediate danger. He complimented me for having such endurance and strength to have made it this far. He says that he wants to make sure my wounds heal enough so I can leave without having to come back right away. You can ask him later for a more indepth report." Roy's face contorted into a disgusted look. Apparantly he wasn't too keen on the idea of staying at the hospital for a month. Then his expression fell and he seemed to be staring at his sheets. The aura around the room suddenly changed to a depression kind of mood.

Doing a totally impulsive thing on her part, Riza reached over and clasped his hand in hers. Taken aback by her action, Roy's eyes widened slightly before they relaxed. Still looking down, he gave a small smile and returned the squeeze. They sat together in a comfortable silence.

* * *

How was the first chapter? I'm writing more and I'd be happy to hear some ideas. I've got the geist of the whole plot but I think I need to make it thicker or something.Read and review!


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